Jerry Norris knows firsthand the devastation drugs can bring to a family.
"In 2017 - my daughter who had been addicted to heroin for probably around 12 years, snorted a crushed up fentanyl pill and overdosed from that," Norris said.
• Lansing Police Department seized more than 4,800 grams of illegal drugs — including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl — according to the city's 2025 annual report.
• Jerry Norris, CEO of the Fledge, lost his daughter Daniella to a fentanyl overdose in 2017 at age 29 and has since become a leading harm reduction advocate in Lansing.
• The Fledge offers community members access to rehabilitation connections, drug testing strips and Narcan, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
His daughter, Daniella, passed away at 29, leaving behind 2 kids. Norris has since turned that pain into advocacy, serving as CEO of the Fledge, a Lansing community center.
Lansing's 2025 annual report shows the Lansing Police Department seized more than 4,800 grams of illegal drugs last year, including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.
LPD responded to a request for comment with a statement: "We're proud of the work our team is doing to keep drugs off our streets. This is the result of our dedicated officers who are committed to protecting our community every day."
Despite those numbers, Norris said the problem remains widespread.
"I think the drug problem is bad pretty much anywhere," Norris said.
The Fledge works to address the issue through prevention and harm reduction. Norris said one priority is making sure people understand the dangers of drug combinations.
"We have to be able to warn people, if there is a lot of meth and fentanyl paired together they are higher risk of overdosing from an opioid," Norris said.
The community center also offers connections to rehabilitation services and distributes testing strips and Narcan, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
"So if someone is overdosing Narcan can wake them back up and get them breathing again," Norris said.
For Norris, the work is deeply personal. He said he keeps going because he doesn't want another parent to experience what he has — and because he still carries a message for the daughter he lost.
"We're still really proud of you for putting up a fight that you did fight," Norris said.
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